Like previous years, 2017 reflects a myriad of shifting trends. Staying ahead of these trends can give employers the edge they need to hire smarter in the year to come. Here are three big recruitment trends to follow in 2017:

1. Invest in Onboarding:

At iCIMS, we’re all about culture; but unfortunately, not all companies value or cultivate their individual culture the same way. Although, according to Daniel Pecharich, a senior manager of recruiting for DISH Network, in 2017, “…we’re going to see organizations pivot to focus on quality of hire in relation to their long-term plans. Meaning, culture fit hires are going to be paramount as excessive budgets shift to long-term business initiatives and culture-driven training programs that improve employment durations”. Other companies are catching-on and realizing that the “best-fit” is a candidate who not only has all the credentials and skills, but also the same principles. When a person doesn’t feel like they are in-sync with the companies’ mission and values, then they may feel more inclined to “head out the door”. In fact, Deloitte’s “Millennials have one foot out the door” 2016 survey, reveals that a “lack of loyalty” to the company is a factor in the decision to leave their current companies by 2020. This will have a major impact on companies’ budgets. On average, “employee unhappiness and disengagement costs companies in the U.S. between $450 and $550 billion a year”.

It’s worth the time to define your company’s culture and ensure it is exemplified throughout the company. A great way to showcase culture is through proper onboarding. When quality hires come together to learn about your company’s daily routines, it’s important they feel welcomed and at home. Onboarding presents the opportunity to transition new recruits from candidate to new hire with the tools to provide productivity, improved retention, and engagement.

2. Focus on Recruitment Marketing

According to iCIMS Chief Economist, Josh Wright, “With the sustained momentum in the U.S. economy, job growth looks likely to be strong through at least the first half of 2017. U.S. firms will be able to remain opportunistic in making their investments and the competition for new hires will remain stiff”. Therefore, employers must market themselves to attract today’s consumer-minded candidates – job seekers who shop for attractive employer brands through research and interactions on career sites, social media and mobile channels.

To ensure positions are filled with high-quality candidates that have the right soft skills and culture fit, employers can utilize a candidate relationship management (CRM) tool to build a candidate pipeline and save time and money when positions become available. CRM tools increase the reach and efficiency of candidate communications to help protect a business’ recruitment investments by automating their ability to nurture relationships with candidates – both active and passive.

3. Utilize User-Friendly Technology

iCIMS CEO, Colin Day, notes, “As the hiring landscape becomes more complex, employers are faced with a large and growing collection of solutions that are designed to address their unique needs in the quest to find, screen, hire, and retain best-fit talent”. But, as we know, that is easier said than done. Attracting, recruiting, and retaining top-talent is a challenge, and managing all of this can be an even more difficult struggle. In order to reduce the strain on recruiters and human resources departments, companies need to look for a solution that streamlines the process.

For example, simplified hiring manager UI and advanced platform search capabilities allow employers to work quickly and efficiently while also remaining compliant, helping to eliminate hiring bias with specific skill-based searches. Through significant design and architecture investments, iCIMS continues to build a comprehensive, intuitive hiring platform for all users. After all, as Colin Day adds, “The most progressive hiring companies will look for a stable, intuitive platform to serve as the hub for all things talent-related...”

Overall, employers can expect recruitment marketing, quality of hire, onboarding, and the ability to tie it all together to be paramount in 2017.